The clip was 18 years old yet couldn’t have been more timely — or uncanny. It showed Franken portraying Simon during a Senate Judicary Committee hearing on the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court, just as the current Franken was playing himself, as a real senator, during hearings on the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Earlier all that was available online was the transcript of the sketch. Then on July 17 the Economist’s Democracy in America blog noted that “NBC has finally re-released the video.”

The clip was posted at Hulu.com, a site that NBC co-owns. But by July 19, the video had been removed. Did Franken use the power of his office to get the network to make unavailable his past violation of the senatorial solemnity?

“No,” responded Franken spokeswoman Jess McIntosh to a Minnesota Independent inquiry.

NBC won’t comment on who decided to post the Franken-as-Simon video — or to take it down. Sharon Pannozzo, the network’s East Coast entertainment publicity director, said by email that the length of time NBC shows remain posted at Hulu varies, and brief appearances — some as short as 24 hours — are “very common.”

That leaves fans of Franken’s screen humor to scan the likes of YouTube, where SNL clips are quickly removed but random gems like a recently uploaded scene from the 1976 movie “Tunnel Vision” sometimes reappear.

Photo: hulu.com

NBC just dug a timely video out of its vaults: Al Franken playing a U.S. senator on the Senate’s Judiciary Committee, questioning a U.S. Supreme Court nominee. Now viewers can compare and contrast his 1991 and 2009 performances.

Here’s Franken in 1991 on SNL, in a spoof on the Clarence Thomas hearings (Franken starts at the 5:00 mark):

UPDATE: The video, posted by NBC at its Hulu site, is now down. The Minnesota Independent has contacted Hulu to find out why. Until we hear back or they put it back up, you can read the transcript of the sketch here (though it’s much better on video). 

And here’s Franken this week, playing himself, in the real Sonia Sotomayor hearings (via The UpTake):

Franken at far right. Photo: SNL Archive

In a story on the Senate Judiciary Committee taking up Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court next week, the New York Times makes mention of something noted here last week: committee member Al Franken’s 1991 TV portrayal of a U.S. senator on the same committee, questioning a Supreme Court nominee.

Franken has said he’ll ask Sotomayor about campaign finance reform, but on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” he was only looking for a date.

It was the opening bit on the SNL show on Oct. 12, 1991, satirizing Senate hearings about the nomination of Clarence Thomas.

UPDATE: NBC has now released the video clip of the sketch. Watch it here. 

Franken played the late Sen. Paul Simon of Illinois in trademark bow-tie. Among the other actors were the late Phil Hartman as Sen. Edward Kennedy, the late Chris Farley as Sen. Howard Heflin, and Chris Rock as Long Dong Silver. Kevin Nealon opened the skit in the role of Sen. Joe Biden (now vice president, then committee chairman).

Here’s the transcript of the sketch. Franken’s lines are near the end.

BIDEN: [ banging gavel ] Gentlemen! Gentlemen, please! Please! Professor Hill, I want to thank you for your … patience here today. You’ve shown remarkable courage throughout your testimony. It couldn’t have been easy for you — or any of us — to sit here for the last seven hours and talk about penis size, or large-breasted women having sex with animals, or pubic hairs on soft drink cans, or oral sex, or the black man’s sexual prowess, or large-breasted women having sex with animals. But we appreciate your candor. [ rest of committee shake their heads and smile ] And we, uh … hope we can reschedule you for another session tomorrow.

ANITA HILL: Thank you, Senator. [ stands up to leave, bumps into next witness, Judge Clarence Thomas, and quickly walks away from him ]

BIDEN: The committee, at this time, would like to call Judge Clarence Thomas. Judge Thomas? [ Judge Clarence Thomas sits ] Judge Thomas, we’re sorry to have to bring you back, but, as you know, some pretty serious allegations have been made by our previous witness.

THOMAS: First of all, I want to say that these proceedings are a travesty!

BIDEN: Mmm-hmm. Well, I understand that. But you did ask Ms. Hill out on a date?

THOMAS: Uh … yes, I did.

[ the committee whisper amongst themselves at the revealing testimony ]

BIDEN: And she refused?

THOMAS: That’s correct.

BIDEN: How did you go about asking her out for this date?

THOMAS: I’m not sure what you mean, Senator.

BIDEN: Well.. did you just go right up and ask her? Or did you have one of her friends tell her that you thought she was cute?

THOMAS: I just walked right up and asked her.

[ the committee whisper amongst themselves ]

KENNEDY: Were you, uh.. were you drunk at the time?

THOMAS: No, I was not.

BIDEN: But she wouldn’t go out with you?

THOMAS: No.

BIDEN: Was she aware that, as her boss, you could have her fired?

THOMAS: She must have been.

[ the committee members gasp at the shocking statement ]

BIDEN: And she still didn’t go out with you? [ Thomas nods no ] Now, Judge Thomas, there have been charges by Professor Hill that you talked casually with her about graphic scenes in porno movies. Is that true?

THOMAS: Yes, it is.

BIDEN: And.. did that work? Did it break the ice?

THOMAS: No, Senator, it actually offended her.

[ the committee is surprised the tactic didn't work ]

HEFLIN: Uh.. what porno movie did you talk about?

THOMAS: Well.. I mainly spoke about a favorite of mine, called “The Hind-Lick Manuever”.

HEFLIN: That’s a good movie, Judge! But do you think hard-core porno is the way to go? Because I feel women prefer softer porn.

BIDEN: Senator Thurmond?

SEN. STROM THURMOND: I agree with Senator Heflin. Yeah, that’s right! The women like something with more stories and costumes, that’ll transport ‘em to another place and time. That’s right! Women don’t like close-ups of oversized genitalia! That’s just never gonna turn ‘em on!

[ committee agrees ]

KENNEDY: A, uh … another good thing is to get them out on your boat for some reason, because, uh … because then it’s really hard for them to get away.

BIDEN: Do you have a question, Senator Kennedy?

KENNEDY: Uh, yes, I do. Have you ever tried coming out of the bathroom nude, and acting like you didn’t know someone was there?

THOMAS: Uh.. no.

KENNEDY: Well, that’s too bad. Because that works, too.

SIMON: Um … Judge? Judge Thomas? Judge Thomas, are you aware of that, uh.. division of our.. government.. known as the, uh … Criminal Justice, uh … Department?

THOMAS: Of course I am, Senator!

SIMON: Well, you know when you walk in the main entrance of the Criminal Justice Building.. there’s this receptionist with short brown hair?

THOMAS: The, uh … one at the third desk on the left?

SIMON: No, no. The one at the big, circular desk, uh … right there in the center there.

THOMAS: Oh, yes — Sandy.

SIMON: Yes. Sandy. Um … do you think that she’d go out with me?

THOMAS: Well, Senator Simon, not knowing your technique, I feel that it would be unfair for me to prejudge your chances with her.

SIMON: Uh-huh. Uh … you think it’s the bow tie, then?

BIDEN: Senator Simon. Please.

SIMON: Women just don’t seem to like the bow tie, do they?

BIDEN: Senator Simon. Please!

SIMON: Uh, sorry. Sorry.

BIDEN: Judge Thomas, I’d like to thank you for your testimony. You’ve been very forthcoming, and, may I say, it’s been an education.

THOMAS: Thank you, Senator. [ stands up and exits ]

BIDEN: The committee calls its next witness. [ black man walks up ] Sir, would you please state your name?

SILVER: Long Dong Silver.

[ committee members smile and shake their heads ]

BIDEN: Mr. Silver, we apologize for calling you back one more time.. but many of us on the committee are admirers of your work, and.. well, frankly, we could just listen to you all day. Now, we understand you have a statement?

SILVER: Uh, yes. I do. “Live, from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”

Poehler’s character, a deputy director of parks in a small Indiana city, has indulged in the contents of a gift basket valued at more than the ethical maximum of $25. So she starts apologizing to every woman in Congress — alphabetically. And Bachmann happens to be first.

Poehler’s mea culpa begins at the 6:40 mark of the full-episode video (nbc or hulu), just after the first commercial break indicated by a white line:

Good morning. Last night, in a foolish attempt to infiltrate a boys’ club, I violated the Government Employee Ethics Code of the State of Indiana. I have always tried to live my life in an ethical way, and last night I failed. I realize I have let down every female public official in America, and I would like to apologize to them, right now, individually and in alphabetical order.

Michele Bachmann, Republican, Minnesota. I’m sorry.

Tammy Baldwin, Democrat, Wisconsin. I’m so sorry, Tammy.

Melissa Bean –

Women politicians are a theme on the show. In last night’s episode, Poehler’s character turns framed desktop photos of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and others, in shame.

During last year’s presidential campaign, Poehler portrayed Hillary Clinton. Her “Parks” character idolizes women who wield political power far more vast than her own, from U. S. House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

A highlight of Poehler’s SNL career came on her final show, when she delivered a fiercely satirical Sarah Palin rap during a “Weekend Update” sketch in which the real Alaska Governor and Republican vice presidential candidate was also appearing.

Now that should have produced a Poehler apology.

For the moose.

On NPR’s “Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me!,” Lieberman was featured in a call-in quiz in which Oakdale resident Alissa Banff (unsure on the spelling; no transcript exists) had to name the news story from the past week that matched the song, “Let’s Kiss and Make Up.” Once she guessed the correct answer, host Peter Sagal said (taking oodles of creative license):

Lieberman did a lot of things this year to annoy Democrats, but he did one very smart thing: He annoyed Democrats rather than anyone who might do something about it.

Leiberman campaigned enthusiastically for John McCain, of course. He implied Barack Obama was an unpatriotic Marxist and he personally set fire to the Democratic National Committee offices and he wrote and performed the YouTube hit song, “The Democrats are a Bunch of Terrorist-Loving Weenies.” But, the Senate Democrats were feeling magnanimous. They welcomed Lieberman back and they let him keep his prized committee chairmanship. Lieberman reacted by actually slapping Harry Reid and then saying, “You still forgive me?” And Reid said, “Sure,” and Leiberman walked behind him and gave him a wedgie and said, “How ’bout now?”

WWDTM regular Adam Felber responded by saying Leiberman has “lost all credulity,” yet Democrats keep giving him second and third chances. He then likened him to Gollum, the character from the film adaptations made of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels: “And he’s actually started looking like him, too!”

Listen here (starts at 4:33).

In a web-only clip, Saturday Night Live’s Andy Samberg, playing a hot-tempered Rahm Emmanuel, Barack Obama’s selection for chief of staff, brought up Lieberman:

Why am I voting for the fantastic McCain/Palin ticket? Simply because my “world view” is based on the belief that The Bible is the inerrant, holy, Word of God, and the Republican stance on abortion, marriage, government control, taxes, education, health care, charity, military, defense, democracy and freedom — lines up closest with the Bible’s message.

Al Franken (Photo: CursedThing, Flickr) and Lorne Michaels (Photo: David Shankbone, Wikimedia Commons)

Norm Coleman’s campaign and his henchmen are bloviating overtime about Al Franken’s reported contribution to a Saturday Night Live skit last week mocking John McCain. The skit was conceived from some comments made by Franken in a phone conversation with his old friend and boss, SNL creator and Executive Producer Lorne Michaels.

Yet Michaels, who was the one who pushed for the skit skewering McCain, escaped any criticism at all from the Coleman camp or the GOP. Perhaps that’s because McCain himself has hauled in $5,300 in campaign contributions from Michaels since 2000—$2,300 in the current election cycle.

Michaels contributed $1,000 to McCain 2000 in February 2000; $1,000 to Friends of John McCain in October 2004; $1,000 to McCain’s Straight Talk American PAC in October 2006; $1,000 to John McCain 2008 in March 2007; and $1,300 to John McCain 2008 in May 2007.

One hyperventilating and highly paid Republican blogger posted seven items on the contrived “scandal” in 16 hours.

On Coleman’s campaign blog, Coleman Campaign Manager Cullen Sheehan dredged up the same litany of Franken material his campaign has been flogging for months in an effort to keep the story alive.

“Al Franken can’t help himself,” Sheehan huffed. “Once again he proves he’s more interested in entertainment than service, and ridiculing those with whom he disagrees.”

Local political reporters dutifully lapped up the GOP’s call to arms, as if this were the most important issue in the campaign.

The Pioneer Press made it the lead story on Page 1 in its Monday edition, with reporter Rachel Stassen-Berger opining that while Franken has worked to separate his Senate campaign from his past as a comedy writer, “he blurred the lines between the two roles by suggesting an idea that was turned into an anti-John McCain opening sketch for Saturday’s show.”

The Star-Tribune’s Patricia Lopez helped fuel the false controversy with essentially a rewrite of the Politico and AP stories. “What may have started as a phone call to an old friend has spiraled into the latest controversy to dog the U.S. Senate campaign of Democratic candidate Al Franken,” Lopez wrote.

When the dust settles from this nonstory, it probably would be best summarized by Emily Latella, the beloved Saturday Night Live character from the late Gilda Radner:

“Never mind.”

SNL: Emily Latella discusses violins on television